Rabbit environmental hood and restrainer

ABSTRACT

A portable apparatus and method for exposing a portion of an animal&#39;&#39;s anatomy to environmental test conditions while the remainder of the anatomy is subjected to normal ambient conditions; the apparatus consisting of an animal restrainer means and a hood means having duct means to permit air circulation.

[56] lieierences Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,987,042 6/1961 Rothberg 1 19/103 3,108,568 10/1963 Whitney et a1... 119/160 X 3,130,709 4/1964 Rothberg 119/103 3,224,415 12/1965 Gottfried 1 19/96 Primary Examiner-Aldrich F. Medbery Attorneys-Harry M. Saragovitz, Edward J. Kelly, Herbert Ber] and Bernard J. Ohlendorf ABSTRACT: A portable apparatus and method for exposing a portion of an animals anatomy to environmental test conditions while the remainder of the anatomy is subjected to normal ambient conditions; the apparatus consisting of an animal restrainer means and a hood means having duct means to permit air circulation.

PATENTEUSEP Hen 3.603294 SHEET 1 UF 2 INVENTORJ William 0. Wins/0n Jr. John F. Callahan 711' 54;

BY w 6&4

RABBIT ENVIIRONMENTAIL HOOD AND RESTRAINER DEDICATORY CLAUSE The invention described herein may be manufactured, used, and licensed by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

Our invention relates to a portable apparatus and method for restraining laboratory animals, such as rabbits, in position and enclosing the animal between a restraining means and a hood means to expose predetermined areas of the animals anatomy to predetermined environmental test Conditions. Our apparatus and method is and can be utilized to evaluate clothing protective value against the effects of predetermined materials under various predetermined environmental control conditions, such as temperature and wind speeds, for predetermined periods of time; the materials being evaluated by studying the physiological effects produced on predetermined areas of anatomy of the aforementioned laboratory animals. Our apparatus and method can also be utilized to determine any health hazards associated with any suspect materials, any industrial hygiene problem associated with any suspect materials, any adverse physiological effects caused by any suspect air pollutants, and protective value of clothing products as insulation protection and against adverse meteorological elements.

While many types of animal restraining devices and exposure chambers are known in the prior art; such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Ser. Nos. 2,987,042, 3,l30,709, and 3,153,399; all of the prior art devices and methods required exposure of a portion of the animals anatomy to the predetermined test substance and/or conditions not necessary to be exposed for evaluation purposes. Such unnecessary exposure results in a physiologically abnormal animal due to overexposure and renders physiological measurements either meaningless or of limited value when trying to interpret or apply the measurements to the effects of the environmental and/or agent conditions on a limited portion of the animal's anatomy. Moreover, the prior art devices were complex, nonportable, and/or ex pensive. Therefore, our invention was conceived and reduced to practice to overcome and solve the aforementioned problems and to satisfy a long felt need for an animal restraining device and test chamber means which would expose only a preselected small area of animal anatomy to test conditions and enable obtaining data which is not affected by abnormal animal physiology resulting from stress in the animal due to overexposure resulting from exposure of too large an area of animal anatomy to test conditions.

A principal object of our invention is to provide a portable apparatus and a method to evaluate the effects of predetermined substances and/or environmental conditions on animal physiology without inducing significant stress on the animal by overexposure to the substances and/or conditions by exposing too large an area of animal anatomy.

Another object is to provide a portable apparatus for evaluating the affects of substances and/or environmental conditions on animal physiology which is inexpensive and is not complex.

Other objects of our invention will be obvious or will appear in the specification hereinafter set forth.

FlG. l is a view showing the utility of our apparatus.

FllG. 2 is an exploded view showing the hood and duct means of our apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a view showing the restrainer strap clamp track means of our apparatus.

FIG. d is a detailed view of the clamp means of our track means shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. is a view of the restraining means of our apparatus.

FIG. 45 is an end view of the restraining means of our apparatus shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the hood and duct means of our apparatus shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. tilt is a side view of the sectional view shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a top view of the connector means shown in FIG. ll).

FIG. It} is a view of the connector means for joining the duct means to the hood means of our apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. llll is a view showing the saddle seal means of the hood means of our apparatus shown in FIG. 7.

Our invention as shown in FIGS. 11 to ll will now be described in detail as follows.

As shown in FIG. 1, animal 1 is restrained on restraining means 2 by elastic strap means 3, the strap means 3 being fixedly mounted to restrainer means 2 at end 9 by any conventional means, such as rivets, and adapted to be fastened to catch means 4 by book means 5. Hood means shown at 6 in FIG. 2 is then placed on the animal at the location of the animal desired to be subjected to testing and the hood means is secured in position by passing strap means 7 through slots 8 and fastening by clamp 10 by pressing plate ll against surface 12 by means of thumbscrew 13 to sandwich strap 7 between plate ill and surface 12 to hold strap taut and insure a hermetic seal between surface 14 of saddle 15 and the animal anatomy; clamp means being mounted within track means 16. Ledge means 17 is slidably mounted within slot 34 by any conventional means, such as adjustments screws etc., to the side of restrainer means 2 to provide a means for resting the animals legs to provide animal comfort. Conduits 18 are friction-fit connected to fluid or air inlet duct 19 and air outlet or fluid exhaust ducts 2t), and the opposite ends of conduits 18 are connected to a conventional air blower means and a conventional air exhaust means to provide air circulation through plenums 21 and chamber 22 at a predetermined temperature for the test conditions. Inlet l9 has a pair of 30-mesh screens fixedly mounted one above the other and separated by air space within the inlet to prevent any particulate matter carried in the airstream from entering chamber 22 and to serve as air straighteners. inlet 19 is fixedly mounted to plate 23 to be removably mounted on chamber 22 by means of studs 24, holes 26, and wing nuts 25; the inlet 19 being adapted to be removed from chamber 22 to permit placement on the animals anatomy of material to evaluate physiological and toxicological effects caused by the material and to attach physiological and environment sensors to the animal, the other end of the sensors being connected to a conventional monitoring means, such as a physiograph. A conventional sealing means 33, such as a neoprene seal, is interposed between plate 23 and surface 27 to produce a hermetic seal upon tightening wingnuts 25. A pair of 30-mesh screens 35 are fixedly mounted in each plenum 21 in the same manner as the screen in inlet 19 and adjacent to the entrance of plenum 21 to chamber 22; the screens being provided to avoid particulate blow back into chamber 22 and as air straighteners. Surface 27 is fixedly mounted to connector means 28 by any conventional means, such as welding or bolting; the connector means being utilized to connect plenums 21, fixedly mounted on either side of the connector means by any conventional means, such as welding, etc., to sadldle 115. A conventional gasket means 29 is placed between connector 28 and saddle 15 to provide a hermetic seal. An elastic material, such as rubber, 3b is cemented to edge surface 311 of saddle to provide a means which provides a hermetic seal between the saddle and the animal anatomy. Port 32 is provided in anterior and posterior walls of chamber 22 to permit airflow calibration and temperature regulation. Materials to construct the various components of my apparatus can be selected within the skill of the art to suit any given application; similarly, sizes of the various components can be selected within the skill of the art to suit any given application. Inlet l9 and outlets 20 can be reversed regarding function for a given application. Structure 36 is a rubber insert to affect a hermetic seal between saddle l5 and the animal anatomy.

It is obvious that other modifications can be made of our invention, and we desire our invention to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

W e claim:

l. A portable apparatus for restraining a laboratory animal in a position and enclosing a portion of anatomy of the animal in a chamber means for evaluation of effects produced on the animal by predetermined environmental conditions comprising a restraining means for holding the animal in a fixed position including a hood means contoured to be received on a portion of the animals anatomy and effect a hermetic seal between the animal anatomy and the hood means, a fluid inlet means fixedly mounted on opposite sides of the hood means, and a fluid exhaust means removably mounted on the upper surface of the hood means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a pair of elastic straps are fixedly connected to one side of the restrainer means at opposite ends of the restrainer means, said straps having a hook means fixedly connected to the end of the strap opposite to the end fixedly connected to the restrainer means, said hook means being adapted to engage a catch means fixedly mounted on the side of the restrainer means opposite to the side to which the straps are fixedly connected to the restrainer means to restrain the animal in a fixed position.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the restrainer means has an upper surface formed to fit the contour of the animal anatomy.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the hood means comprises a saddle means and a chamber means fixedly mounted on the upper surface of the saddle means, said saddle means being formed to fit the contour of the animal anatomy and having a material cemented to the undersurface of the saddle means adapted to effect a hermetic seal between the saddle means and the animal anatomy, said chamber means having an opening in each side and the top adapted to permit air to circulate through the chamber means from the duet means.

. 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein a port means is provided in the anterior and the posterior wall of the chamber means to permit airflow calibration and temperature regulation.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein a pair of strap means are fixedly mounted on opposite sides of the saddle means, a pair being located at the posterior end and a pair being located at the anterior end; said strap means being adapted to be drawn taut and maintained taut by a clamp means to effect a hermetic seal between the saddle means and the anatomy of the animal.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the clamp means comprises a plate means fixedly connected to a thumbscrew means and adapted to be moved in a track means by turning the thumbscrew means, a slot means adapted to insert the strap means through, and a surface parallel and adjacent to the plate means; said plate means and surface being adapted to sandwich the strap means therebetween.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first and second duct means are adapted to be connected to conduit means, said conduit means being connected at the end opposite to thc duct means to a flower means and an exhaust means; the first and second duct means being capable of being interchangeably used as an air inlet and an air outlet means.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein 30-mesh screens are fixedly mounted in the first and second duct means, said screens being adapted to act as air straighteners to eliminate turbulent airflow.

10. A method of evaluating an effect selected from the group of effects consisting of toxicological effects and physiological effects produced in a laboratory animal by exposure for a predetermined time to an environmental condition selected from the group of environmental conditions consisting of presence of a predetermined material affecting physiological function, presence of a predetermined material having toxicological effects, predetermined temperature, predetermined wind speed, presence of a material which is a health hazard, presence of a material which causes an industrial hygiene problem, presence of an air pollution material, and an adverse meteorological element by using the apparatus of claim 1 comprising the steps of placing an animal on the restrainer means; placing the hood means on a predetermined portion of the animal anatomy desired to be subjected to the environmental condition; efiecting a hermetic seal between the saddle means of the hood means and the animal anatomy; placing any predetermined material on the animal anatomy within the chamber means of the hood means; attaching a sensor means to the animal anatomy within the chamber means; attaching the opposite end of the sensor means to a monitor means; hermetically sealing the second duct means to the chamber means; connecting conduit means from a blower means and an exhaust means to the first and second duct means; circulating airflow through the chamber means; and monitoring the effect on the animal. 

1. A portable apparatus for restraining a laboratory animal in a position and enclosing a portion of anatomy of the animal in a chamber means for evaluation of effects produced on the animal by predetermined environmental conditions comprising a restraining means for holding the animal in a fixed position including a hood means contoured to be received on a portion of the animal''s anatomy and effect a hermetic seal between the animal anatomy and the hood means, a fluid inlet means fixedly mounted on opposite sides of the hood means, and a fluid exhaust means removably mounted on the upper surface of the hood means.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a pair of elastic straps are fixedly connected to one side of the restrainer means at opposite ends of the restrainer means, said straps having a hook means fixedly connected to the end of the strap opposite to the end fixedly connected to the restrainer means, said hook means being adapted to engage a catch means fixedly mounted on the side of the restrainer means opposite to the side to which the straps are fixedly connected to the restrainer means to restrain the animal in a fixed position.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the restrainer means has an upper surface formed to fit the contour of the animal anatomy.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the hood means comprises a saddle means and a chamber means fixedly mounted on the upper surface of the saddle means, said saddle means being formed to fit the contour of the animal anatomy and having a material cemented to the undersurface of the saddle means adapted to effect a hermetic seal between the saddle means and the animal anatomy, said chamber means having an opening in each side and the top adapted to permit air to circulate through the chamber means from the duet means.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein a port means is provided in the anterior and the posterior wall of the chamber means to permit airflow calibration and temperature regulation.
 6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein a pair of strap means are fixedly mounted on opposite sides of the saddle means, a pair being located at the posterior end and a pair being located at the anterior end; said strap means being adapted to be drawn taut and maintained taut by a clamp means to effect a hermetic seal between the saddle means and the anatomy of the animal.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the clamp means comprises a plate means fixedly connected to a thumbscrew means and adapted to be moved in a track means by turning the thumbscrew means, a slot means adapted to insert the strap means through, and a surface parallel and adjacent to the plate means; said plate means and surface being adapted to sandwich the strap means therebetween.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said first and second duct means are adapted to be connected to conduit means, said conduit means being connected at the end opposite to the duct means to a flower means and an exhaust means; the first and seCond duct means being capable of being interchangeably used as an air inlet and an air outlet means.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein 30-mesh screens are fixedly mounted in the first and second duct means, said screens being adapted to act as air straighteners to eliminate turbulent airflow.
 10. A method of evaluating an effect selected from the group of effects consisting of toxicological effects and physiological effects produced in a laboratory animal by exposure for a predetermined time to an environmental condition selected from the group of environmental conditions consisting of presence of a predetermined material affecting physiological function, presence of a predetermined material having toxicological effects, predetermined temperature, predetermined wind speed, presence of a material which is a health hazard, presence of a material which causes an industrial hygiene problem, presence of an air pollution material, and an adverse meteorological element by using the apparatus of claim 1 comprising the steps of placing an animal on the restrainer means; placing the hood means on a predetermined portion of the animal anatomy desired to be subjected to the environmental condition; effecting a hermetic seal between the saddle means of the hood means and the animal anatomy; placing any predetermined material on the animal anatomy within the chamber means of the hood means; attaching a sensor means to the animal anatomy within the chamber means; attaching the opposite end of the sensor means to a monitor means; hermetically sealing the second duct means to the chamber means; connecting conduit means from a blower means and an exhaust means to the first and second duct means; circulating airflow through the chamber means; and monitoring the effect on the animal. 